Automatic steering of dirigible bodies



April 26, 1932. E. H. ROUSSEY 1,855,422

AUTOMATIC STEERING OF DIRIGIBLE BODIES Filed Feb. 27, 1931 1 ,2 I o r l E E R: Q lncesl-jg e n yflamsqy- ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 26, 1932 ERNEST HENRY ROUSSEY, 01'! THE UNITED STATES NAVY AUTOMATIC STEERING 0F DIRIGIBLE BODIES Application filed February 27, 1931. Serial No. 518,759.

(GRANTED UNDER THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1883, AS AMENDED APRIL 30, 1928; 3'70 0. 757) An object of this invention is to provide a simple system'of electrical means sensitive to sound and capable, in response to stimulation from the sound, of operatingsteering 5 means to direct the body being steered toward the source of the sound.

A further object of this invention is to provide means to prevent the body from returning to its launching point due to sounds emanating from the launching body by incorporating means of making the sound controlling device inoperative until the body reaches the vicinity where the sound from the objective is the predominant sound reaching the body from some outside source.

A further object of this invention is to provide means for predetermining the distance thebody will travel before the,sound controlling means becomes operative.

A further object of this invention is to provide an automatic steering means which may be used for steering a dirigible body in one plane only or which may be duplicated in its essential parts and, by disposing the duplicated parts at right angles to the first parts, control in two planes may be obtained.

A further object of this invention is to provide an automatic steering meanswhich is applicable to dirigible bodies of various sorts such as land, water or air craft.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, this invention comprises the following constructions, combinations and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In these drawings, 4

. Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of this invention; Y

Figure 2 is a cross-section of certain op erating parts on line 22 of Figure 3;

Figure 3 is a View partly in cross-section of the mechanism for selectively closing a switch in the circuit of Figure 1.

' In Figure 1, the numeral 1 designates an electric switch which may be selectively closed as described later.

Considerin this switch closed, it will be seen that the battery or other source of electric energy represented at numeral 2 energizes a two-branched divided circuit which consists of the solenoid winding 3 and 3, the variable resistance 4 and 4', the microphones 5 and 5 placed symmetrically with respect to the center line of the body, and the return lead 6. For this return lead there may be substituted ground connections to the structure of the body, at the minus side of battery 2 and the corresponding side of the microphones; The variable resistances 4 and 4 are used to equalize the flow of current through themicrophones, and consequently through each side of the solenoid, when there is no sound being impressed on the microphones other than the sounds-produced by the body itself. When the effect of an outside sound from dead ahead is impressed on the microphones, there will be an equaleifect on each microphone since they are symmetrisolenoid coils to be unequal, thus pulling the solenoid core or plunger 7 to the right or left, as the case may be. This movement of the plunger 7 moves the ring 8 normally positioned midway between the switch contacts 9, 9 and 9', 9, until it closes the gap between one pair of these contactpoints.

The closure' of 'the gap represented by. points 9, 9 completes an electric circuit beginning from the battery or other source of electrical energy 10, the solenoid windingll and returnlead 12. It .will be noted that for the return lead 12, the usual ground connections may be made, and for the second source of electric energy 10, the previous source of electric energy 2 may be substituted, thus having'both circuits utilize the same source of electric energy.

Energizing the circuit last described moves the solenoid core or plunger 13 which is pivotally connected to the arm 14. This arm slides along a dove-tailed groove in the control valve 15, thus converting the horizontal linear motion of the solenoid plunger to rotating-motion in the control valve. In the case of automobile torpedoes, this control valve would be the gyroscope pallet, the slide movement of which serves to deflect" the steering mechanism to one side, until the pallet is again returned to mid position. Movement of the pallet in the opposite direction, serves to temporarily deflect the rudders in the opposite direction.

It will be noted that had the solenoid plunger 7 closed the contact points 9, 9 the solenoid plunger 13 would have been moved in the opposite direction by .coils 11 and consequently the control valve 15 would have been turned in the reverse direction. The mechanism actuated by the solenoid plunger 13 is not intended to bear the full force of the efiort to move the rudders of the body, but is arranged merely to move the control means in the proper direction. In the case of the machinery for moving the horizontal rudders of a torpedo, the control valve to be moved would take the form of a differential control valve, well known inengineering.

The application of the reciprocating and turning motion produced by the solenoid plunger 13, to the control means for any given steering mechanism will entail merely the application of mechanical skill to hook up the elements involved.

It should be noted that the direction of the windings of the coils controlling the movement of the solenoid plungers 7. and 13 are such as to move the control valve 15 to give right rudder when microphone 5' registers the greater intensity of sound and to produce left rudder when the microphone 5 produces the greater intensity of sound. I

It is obvious that any of the standard methods of amplification of small currents and current fluctuation will materially assist in the performance of the solenoid plunger 7 depending on'the amount of amplification, the number of coils inthe solenoid may be lessened and their position in respect to the plunger may be increased and the 'eflicient operation of the solenoid plunger may be maintained. This modification entails mere mechanical skill along lines familiar vin the electrical industry.

The switch 1 is an automatic switch, the

closing of which is accomplished at such a distance away from the launching point that the normal sounds occurring at this point will not have the effect of attracting the body to its starting point. If the body were a torpedo, for instance, and werelaunched against an objective approximately 9000 yards away, the switch would be set to close after the torpedo had traveled 8000 yards,

for example. 'This would insure that when the sound control means were made operative, the sound produced by the objective would be the predominating sound in the vicinity of the body. An embodiment of this automatic selective switch, which is effective in the case of torpedoes, is shown in Figures 2 and 3, Figure 2 being a horizontal cross section and Figure 3 being a vertical cross section of the elements described inthis specification.

In Figure 2 the ratchet wheel 16 is the standard type ratchet Wheel at the end of the 'geartrain connected to the propeller shaft of a torpedo and known as the distance gear; This wheel rotates in a clockwise direction slightly less than one complete turn during the total distance that can be traveled by the torpedo. The position thatit takes for any distance from zero to maximumwheel 16 permit the movement of the cam 17 in a clockwise direction but not in a counter clockwlse dlrectlon. The cam 17 also has on its outer surface the recess 20 WhlCll when moved opposite the plunger 21 permits movement-of that plunger toward the center of the cam. r

The setting of the cam to operate the plunger 21 at a given distance and hence to close the electrical switch 1, is accomplished as follows. Referring to Figure 3 the spindle 22 coming from the distance gear index is pulled up slightly in order to remove the recess 20 on the" cam 17 from the possibility of engaging the plunger 21. The spindle is then turned in a clockwise direction according to a suitable'range marked off on the graduations of the distant gear index and y then dropped down into place again. This movement results in placing the recess 20 in such a position that the torpedo will have to travel the number of yards shown on the distance gear index before the ratchet wheel 16 has moved the recess 20 into registry with the plunger 21. The plunger 21 moves in a dash pot 23 mounted on a bulkhead 24 and is actuated by a spring 25. The movement of the plunger 21 moves the lever 26 about the pivot 27 and thus releases the plunger 28. Theplunger 28 moves in a dash pot bracketed to the outside shell of the torpedo. This dash pot has a screwed on head 30 which shoulder 32 in approximately its mid position. On the face of the shoulder 32 toward the terminals 1, 1 is inserted an insulated metallic ring 33. It is obvious that when the lever 26 is tripped the plunger 28 is released, and moving to the right the ring 33 closes the electrical contact between the two terminals of switch 1.

To reset this switch the cam 17 is turned so that the recess 20 permits the plunger 21 to move left, the plunger 28 is pushed in by pressing on the head .34 and the cam 17 is rotated to take the recess 20 out of registry with the plunger 21 and the pressure on the head is released until the shoulder 32 takes up against the lever 26.

While the circuits illustrated and described herein control steering means in one plane only, and are appropriate for a body traveling on land or in water where its objective is a surface craft, it will be apparent that by duplicating the essential parts of these circuits and disposing the second pair of microphones in a plane at right angles to the first pair, control in two planes can be obtained. This arrangement is suitable for bodies launched in the water against ,submarines, for instance, and for bodies launched against objectives in the air.

It will be understood that the above description and accompanying drawings comprehend only the general and preferred embodiment of my invention, and that various changes in construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be made within the scope of the appended claims, and without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention.

The herein described invention may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalties thereon.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a dirigible body having propelling and guiding means, means for directing said guiding means toward an objective emitting sounds and means for causing said directing means to become operative after the body has traveled a predeterminable distance, said means including an open switch in a circuit and means for closing said switch, said switch-closing means comprising a pair of separated contacts in said circuit, means for bridgingjsaid contacts, means tending to force said bridging means into position against said contacts and trigger'means oper- I able by the propelling means for permitting said bridging means to bridge said'contacts after the propelling means-has operated for a predeterminable distance.

2. In a dirigible body having propelling and guiding means, means for directing said guiding means toward an objective emitting sounds and means for causing said directing means to become operative after the body has traveled' a. predeterminable distance, said means including an open switch in'a circuit and means for closing said switch, said switch-closing means comprising a pair of separated contacts in said circuit, means for bridging said contacts, means tending to force said bridging means into position against said contacts and. means permitting, said contact bridging means to become efiective after a predeterminable period.

3. In a dirigible body having propelling and guiding means, means for directing said guiding means toward an objective emitting sounds and means for causing said directing means to become operative after the body has traveled a predeterminable distance, said means including an open switch in a circuit and means for closing said switch, said switch-closing means comprising a, pair of separated contacts in said circuit, means for bridging said contacts, means tending'to force said bridging means into position against said contacts, a trigger preventing said bridging means from becoming operative, and a cam controlled by the propelling means for releasing said trigger means.

4. In a dirigible body having propelling and guiding means, means for directing said guiding means toward an objective emitting sounds and means for causing said directing means to become, operative after the body has traveled a predeterminable distance, said means including an open switch in a circuit and means for closingsaid switch,v

said switch-closing means comprising a pair of separated contacts in said circuit, means 7 for bridging said contacts, means tending to force said bridging means into position against said contacts, a triggerpreventing said bridging means from becoming operative, a cam controlled by the propelling means for releasing said trig er means, and means whereby said cam may e set for releasing the trigger after a predetermined period.

E. 1-1., ROUSSEY. 

